Conservation groups target coal ash

Environmentalists to sue; Progress disagrees

9:29 PM,
Jan. 24, 2013

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After documenting a soup of contaminants seeping into the French Broad River from an area coal-fired power plant, conservation groups notified Progress Energy Carolinas of their intent to sue for pollution violations. The utility disputes the environmentalists' conclusions.

The Southern Environmental Law Center sent a 60-day Notice of Intent to Sue on Thursday to Progress Energy Carolinas, a subsidiary of Duke Energy, on behalf of the Sierra Club, Waterkeeper Alliance, and Western North Carolina Alliance, saying the electric utility is in violation of the Clean Water Act.